EricMontreal22

They won't be back? Boo. I haven't read the early issues of the comic in a LONG time but I was sure they returned...

I really liked it--the premier was very close to the early issues of the comic book (down to even replicating some of the more familiar frames), and I liked how slow some of it was (that's an odd comment I know)--and how much of the storytelling was done visually. And of course I'm a huge Andrew Lincoln fan. A few quibbles--I thought the brief bit we saw of his wife and her dialogue made me wonder if there were any female writers on staff (not that I don't think men can write good female dialogue, but...). Hopefully it was just the brief scene. The friend I watched with found the zombie gore a bit much (it's funny, tons of horror fans were really worried that the gore wouldn't be intense enough due to it being on AMC and not HBO, but I don't think that was a prob). I found that surprising because it didn't bother me, and my friend usually ahs a WAY higher threshold for gore than I do (hbe likes a number of "torture porn" Saw style horror films I cannot stomach)--so i guess mileage will vary. Ratings apparently were really good by AMC standards--I read 5.3. This will taper out, of course, but...

Hahah after the reissue of her first album and UKtour, she is going for the US in Feb. I sound kinda deluded--but I think she actually could have some success there.

It came in number 6--which could prove disastrous. I dunno, I still think Alexandra Burke the year before is one of the best popstars the UK has cranked out--they just don't seem to know what to do with Joe.

Well it was number one across Scandinavia--but they did do a different version for the UK (total flop) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQQUJlJZp_Y&NR=1 Do you think Joe's album will flop? I wasn't a big fan during X Factor but I admit all the media about what a nice guy he is has swayed me--his album is about half good.

Donkeyboy was one of my fave albums of 2009... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_WQ6u9os50 Now I know ScandiPop English can be hard to grasp, but as much as I love the adorable, and now out Joe McElderry, why does it seem like X factor completely didn't get the irony in these lyrics...

I thinkit is hypocritical, and that GQ really should get the blunt of the blame. All three actors are really new to this (where were their agents??), though I know there's been a bit of complaining that Lea already was topless (only partially viewable) on stage in Spring Awakening (John Groff showed his ass there too, but no one seemed to care--and he's not a major actor on Glee anyway)--but of course that wasn't captured on film. That said--I do think particularly lea's panty shots are in horribly bad taste, and not remotely hot (and don't say that's only cuz I'm not straight While I might prefer it, if Cory had been in a jock strap in the pics, I would equally call it in poor taste. Of course he went to my high school and we shared a gym change room a few times--maybe I shoulda taken a picture ). The issue isn't that they're adults now--the issue is that they were *in character* for the photo spread, as teenagers. (That said accusations of pedophilia or child pornography are surreally ridiculous. Child pornography is a serious, important issue, and I feel to lay labels like that on something like this is completely counter productive).

I know this was apparently Fox's doing, and one thing I can't blame on Ryan Murphy... I can't believe for their probably cringe inducing upcoming Rocky Horror episode--such lyrics as "heavy petting" and even "transvestite" have been forced to be replaced with toned down lyrics (how can you do Rocky Horror and not say transvestite??). Yet, this show loves to call one of its characters "JewFro", has refered to lesbian "scissoring", etc? Is heavy petting even a term that networks are worried about anymore??

WOW. While I don't feel quite as extremely as he does--I do agree with all his points, andhe says things that I was trying to (much less effectively) say, particularly shown in this last episode.

Cheap, cheap, cheap. But that's the very problem! Those were almost all slavish recreations (without even the humour of the Vogue recreation last year) done with no imagination, albeit very well done for what they were. Worse, they had no idea how to even try to integrate them into the stories, themes, or action of the plot so just threw them all in as fantasy sequences. LAZY. I could just watch them on youtube--though the actress playing Britany did prove why she was hired originally for her dancing skills (she's one of the two dancers who did the live performances of Beyonce's Single Ladies, and came close to the top 20 in season 2 of So You Think You Can Dance when she had to leave due to a job)--I thought she actually outdanced the real Britney (and let's face it the one talent Britney, in her prime, genuinely had was dance ability)

So he's still on? I guess we'll see that story in half a year or something. I can actually see the thought that he wouldn't be a character like Cotton's (well largely cuz he's not so completely stereotypically gay) but as you say, so far from what I've seen, he essentially fills the exact same role regardless.

My library has that book but I haven't checked it out since I was a teen--I'll have to! Thanks for typing it all out! I remember at some point when I was visiting my Grandma for the Summer in a different city, I found another radio soap record at a used record shop and played it on her turntable--I *think* it was Ma Perkins and she heard it and came in to listen saying how many great memories it brought back ofher and her freinds listening to Perkins after school every day...

Toups I agree on funny qyotes and on the awful overuse of Jumping the Shark. But I still think it was one of the bottom 5 episodes so far despite some fun song moments.

Edits: Cox actually has a new as of last year update of the Radio Soap Dictionary at a cheaper paperback price--The A to Z of American Radio Soap Operas--it seems to be exactly the same text. here http://www.amazon.com/American-Radio-Soap-Operas-Guide/dp/0810868334/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1285824942&sr=1-3 And here's the new book he did about 1946-1960 tv soaps that apparently includes a chapter on irna and individual chapters on Search for Tomorrow, Love of Life, The Guiding Light, The Secret Storm, As the World Turns, and The Edge of Night. http://www.amazon.com/Daytime-Serials-Television-1946-1960/dp/078642429X/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1285824942&sr=1-5 will have to track it down

I have all of those on mp3 CDs I bought about 15 years back as a teen--and yes I listened ot them all. And honestly I think they're great--I got really wrapped up (it includes the fantastic murder trial of Meta after she shoots her husband for inadvertently leading to the death of her son). My only complaint is a lot of them are missing organ music--apparently I've been told it was because they were recorded so they could air in Canada and other areas and the organ music would often be done live to them. But it does make the listening experience seem a bit odd--all those silent pauses you really miss the organ. But they were great to listen to on headphones on dreaded days long family car trips. Back then, pre internet, it was really the only way I could experience any vintage soap opera so it was pretty thrilling to me as a young teen obsessed with the history. A few years before that I got a number of records that I still have at a library sale of vintage radio soaps. One was of Guiding Light a bit earlier (late 40s I believe though they had moved to Selby Flats or whatever that LA suburb and the Bauers were there by then--Irna Phillips often got full writing credit int he announcemnet, something in her contract I believe and the ones soap she stayed with throughout her career on radio), a disc of four episodes of the GL spin off Right to Happiness (from the early forties I believe though Irna Phillips had already stopped writing it by then, I have to admit this was by far the most captivating run of radio soap opera I found--I'd love to hear more Right though I don't think many long runs have been saved), a disc that has an episode of Young Dr Malone, Road of Life, a very different late 30s Guiding Light, Brighter Day (particularly good as well) and Ma Perkins each, and a few Hummert soaps. I have to admit you really hear the differences between the Irna created soaps and the Hummert "factory" soaps. The Hummert ones were wild fantasy serials--kinda like a version fo the children's radio serial adventures like Lil Orphan Annie but aimed at housewives. Helen Trent always stayed the same age and courted sheiks, the radio version of Stella Dallas (which the author of the original detested) would have her climbing through deserts to rescue her daughter from some horrific kidnapping after another, etc. Of course these kinds of soaps could never make the cross over to TV--plot based soaps instead of character based, which woulda needed fancy sets, etc. Even the tamer Hummert soaps like Ma Perkins were much wilder. Irna's soaps on the other hand are very much recognizable tgo any modern soap viewer--and the best are oddly captivating--that run of Guiding Light mentioned above sucks you in after only a couple of episodes--your eally get how they'd hook someone (at least I do) despite their slowness and the cliches. There are two fantastic books on radio soaps that most decent university libraries (with a media center) should have. The Great Radio Soap Operas (http://www.amazon.com/Great-Radio-Soap-Operas/dp/0786438657/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1285824089&sr=1-1#_) which has info on about 20 specific soaps. Even better, by the same author (who has a number of exhaustive radio show books, Jim Cox, and I see has a brand new book about the TV Daytime serials of 1946-1960 which might be interesting) is Historical Dictionary of American Radio Soap Operas. It covers every single title (including rarities like Irna's Masquerade) as well as fascinating entries like on crossovers (The General Mills Hour, when in the forties Irna aired Guiding Light, Today's Children and Women in White one after the other, with the last 15 mins devoted to some non Irna faith based serial Light of the World. But within her three shows characters would move from one to the other, a doctor from Woman in White helping out on Guiding Light, etc). Anyway it's a fascinating, thorough read--and you can read a lot of it at amazon.com if you doa search for what you want like "Crossover" or "Guiding Light", etc http://www.amazon.com/reader/081085323X?_encoding=UTF8&query=guiding%20light#reader_081085323X) Anyway this is a subject that deeply interests me, and I'd love to discuss more.

Not much to add, except I've really gotten back into Emmerdale (more than Eastenders)--Aaron just locked himself in a garage and turned his car motor on lol

Does the gay guy (I'm still not too down with names lol) ever have a story of his own or is he essentially a less flamey version of Antony Cotton's role on Corrie?

There's definitely something to that. Murphy seems to come up with good ideas and even decent half season plans for his shows--good first 13 eps or so. But he quickly loses track of what made the show so appealing in the first place, it seems. What hooked audiences to Glee was pretty basic--appealing characters, songs that often surprised yet fixed the action, and basically something fairly ligth and joyful. Instead he stuffs it up with guest stars, cruder comedy, etc. It really does seem like whoever's manning the ship (and I blame Murphy primarily due to past experience) just is completely lost... But hey they nearly got 14 million viewers fo it, so unfrotunately no one will realize how broke the ship is already and try to fix it, till it's much too late...

I have way too much time on my hands obviously, but I thought this Britney episode basically got everything that can and has gone wrong with Glee and put it into one tidy episode. It makes me think Ryan Murphy should stop scripting or directing episodes (he did both this week--last week his co creator Ian Brennan wrote and it was miles better). I was glad to read on nearly every blog that even most fans (not all though) agreed. Poor Britney--they didn't even TRY to do what Glee does best--which is when they find surprising and oddly effective ways to incorporate songs into the action and story. Instead most of the songs were straight up re-enactments of the videos, done as fantasy sequences. Yawn. I mean they were well done, and we finally got to see why Morris was hired as Britany--not only is she funny but I know they hired her as their lead female dancer, and I thought she actually out danced Britney. Otherwise.... Ryan Murphy did what he always does (he did it in Nip Tuck too) which is the characters act OUT of character to allow story points. Since when was Mr Shuster who the kids were all down with doing Goldigger with last year, now seen as this uber square guy who doesn't like letting loose or listening to modern music?!?! Since when did Sue hate sexually suggestive music, after going on about how empowering she found Madonna last year she even had a cone bras? Why has Rachel reverted to being even LESS secure than ever, and why are the couple we're meant to hope for, her and Finn, so incredibly dull and chemistry less? And I find Britany hilarious--as well as her bitchy sidekick Santana, but this episode kinda proved why they should just be secondary characters. (Oh and Shut Up Artie--you were an !@#$%^&*] boyfriend ALL of last year--why should random Asian girl who no longer stutters want you back when she has a hotter guy now whbo doesn't whine??) Also typical of Murphy the tone was all over the place--Glee has always gotten off on borderline raunchy double entendres and humour, and a mix of sentimentality and cartoony humour--and often it works for me. It sure didn't today. They showed WAY too much of ugly Jew boy (I'm almost surprised there's been no backlash to him but I guess maybe cuz Rachel's jewish too?). He's funny enough in QUICK little cameos--not focused on when it just becomes mean spirited and ICKY. The jerking off completely naked, ass sweat stuff? Umm and Ryan says this is a great family show? And then--they did the Bob Fosse styled Toxic--which I actually liked! But the kids getting whipped into a sexual frenzy was WAY too over the top, and then to actually interupt the number over and over again with characters like "fat girl" and "jewfro boy" shouting the same thing over and over--We Get It. Just show the stupid number you worked hard to stage. Anyway really disappointed--and it makes me think maybe they should stop doing tribute episodes--the show works best when they mix a surrpising variety of styles into one episode. (though ending on a non britney song The Exception was odd--I liked it, but I'm tired of Rachel ALWAYS finishing every episode with a ballad, even if she sang one of my fave Broadway over the top cheezy ballads last week What I Did for Love from Chorus Line). Anyway I hope the rumoured MJackson Superbowl tribute works better. And I hope it's back on track next week--some bloggers are already callign this episode a jump the shark moment. We'll see.

No... I assume that happened to Tanya earlier? Which would kinda fit the Kylie duet song... (one thing I love about watchign UK soaps is I always can tell around when they aired due to the pop songs you hear in the background) Or is it yet to happen? She does pretty much fit your description from what I've seen...

I think I still prefer watching things on TV--I find when I watch online I tend to get distracted, check my MSN or facebook, etc. Which isn't awful--soaps are often made to be listened to while doing other things anyway, but... But yes the commercial interuptions on Vision--fro both soaps, are at AWFUL times--i thinkone seems to be at the right place, the others not. That said they are shorter than most commercial blocks on Canadian tv--and they do have fairly well done preview ads for the next day's episode (they advertise Emmerdale during EastEnders and vice versa). I have to wonder, with their tiny budget, how long they'll keep that up. Also watched AB FAB before on it--just bizarre to see the show completely uncut, on at 5pm PST on a religious network. LOL Makes the show seem even more subversive

The other major story was a woman who had broken up with her husband I assume, and had two daughters with him (and maybe a baby?) and was now with a younger hunkier guy--and she lied to the younger guy and went with the ex to parent teacher night, and made it seems he was going to get back together with him--then when she told this to an upset younger guy, he asked why, and it ended with her saying "for revenge" duh duh duh. A day earlier she was picking up the girls from their dad's and they convinced her to play a karaoke game which was a duet with the dad. Oddly the duet was the Nick Cave/Kylie Minogue "Murder Ballad" Wild Rose, which i forgot was a hit in the UK, and she got very upset singing it which I think I put too much context on and assumed it meant she had been attacked or almost murdered by either her ex or someone else, but I guess not. Anyway it's kinda fun trying to figure it out--we'll see if it'll stick.

One shame is 6 eps air a week in UK, 5 here, so we're gonna fall further and further behind

Today's episode had a lot with Jack trying to convince his friend Bradley to stop feeling sorry for himself, drinking alone all day, and snap out of it. Not quite sure yet what *it* is But I'm starting to get into the rhythm of things. (the story that baffles me is a blonde who offered a slighty older man a massage and came onto him, then acted shocked when he was in his underwear and now seems to be blackmailing him...) I could look these up of course, but it's kinda interesting to try to figure things out.

Thanks Carl--it helps that it comes on as soon as I'm home for work (it's kinda strange to watch a soap that I haven't recorded). I'll prob watch a bit more before I start getting into past clips--I did watch off and on some of the past stuff when CBC aired it a long time back...